Indefinite Pronouns
  

Worksheet Objective:
To learn how to make subjects and verbs agree in sentences.

This is the last worksheet that covers subject-verb agreement. When you complete this it, be sure to complete the Subject-Verb Agreement Quiz.

Indefinite pronouns

One of the most common mistakes in subject-verb agreement is caused by a certain group of pronouns.  These indefinite pronouns look plural but are really singular.  Which sentence is correct?
            Everybody on the team win.                  Everybody on the team wins.

Everybody seems to refer to all people, so you may think that it is plural.  Nope.  What it really says is every body, and body is singular, so it must use the singular verb wins. The correct sentence is:
            Everybody on the team wins.

Here’s a way you can easily remember most of these words.  Look at the second part of the words.  The words one, thing, and body are all singular.  The words they are a part of are also singular.
            Neither of the whales is happy living in the tank.
            Each of those sharks weighs more than 500 pounds.
            Everybody swims in the river, even though it’s very cold now.

Just as some pronouns are always singular, some are always plural.

Plural Indefinite Pronouns
both few
many several

I liked these books.  Both are science fiction.
Lots of people like Lovecraft’s books.  Many have all his books.
Both write extremely well.


And just when you think you’ve got it all figured out…

Some indefinite pronouns may either be singular or plural depending on their antecedents (Remember what an antecedent is?  It’s the noun that the pronoun refers to.)

Singular or Plural Indefinite Pronouns
some any none
most all half

Study the examples below.  In one sentence, all is plural.  In the other, all is singular.  See if you can figure out why.
            All of the snow has melted.
            All of the candy bars have disappeared.

In the first sentence, all is singular because its antecedent is snow, a singular noun.  In the second sentence, all is plural because its antecedent is candy bars, a plural noun.

            Some of the cake is gone.                                Some of the people have left.
            Half of the game remains.                               Half of the children arrive late.

Try the following sentences:

47.   Everyone in the club  to have a party next week.

48.   None of the marbles  to Geraldine.

49.   Some of the ice from the polar caps  each summer.

50.   Most of the listeners  the speaker’s purpose.

51.   Few of our neighbors  our boa constrictor.

52.   Someone in the audience  a question.

53.   Nobody  to argue with a rattlesnake.

54.   All of the cake  gone.

55.   All of the pieces of cake  gone.

56.   Only one of these dogs  without provocation.

57.   Anyone with an ounce of brains  that the earth is round.

58.   Many of my friends  night classes.

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Resources:
Cambridge Program for the Writing Skills Test. (1981). Cambridge Book Company: New York, NY
GED Test 1: Writing Skills. (1994). Contemporary Books, Inc.: Lincolnwood, IL.
GED Writing Skills. (1996). Steck-Vaughn: Austin, TX.
Rubin, Betsy. (1988). Edge on English: Grammar Write Away, Book 2. Contemporary Books Inc.: Chicago, IL.